


Penance

by nursal1060



Series: DamiDick/DickDami Love [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Injustice: Gods Among Us, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Acceptance, Altered Mental States, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bat Brothers, Bat Family, Batfamily Feels, Body Sharing, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Costumes, DamiDick, Damian Wayne is Nightwing, Dick Grayson is Deadman, Ghosts, Hopeful Ending, Injustice AU, M/M, Memories, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Mental Link, Mirrors, Murder, Out of Body Experiences, Penance - Freeform, Platonic Romance, Praise, Praise Kink, Pride, Psychic Bond, Regret, Self-Acceptance, Self-Hatred, Self-Love, Shame, Soul Bond, accidental murder, dickdami
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 19:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12990708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nursal1060/pseuds/nursal1060
Summary: Damian wears Dick's Nightwing mantle as an act of penance, however, Dick has already forgiven him.





	Penance

**Author's Note:**

> The injustice series is amazing. Damian, while he may be bratty both in the games and comics, has an incredible history in regard to what happened with Dick. I felt like that meant that it was deserving of a story <3
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated, feel free to leave some XD

_ You don’t deserve to wear that costume. You killed him. _

  


The thought always passed Damian’s mind as he walked in front of a mirror or reflective surface, catching a glimpse of himself in the red Nightwing/Renegade costume. He got it from ‘Dick’ post-morum, and fought nonstop alongside Superman and his regime in it. It made him feel connected to Dick’s memory-

  


-and it was also a painful remembrance of the short flash of rage that had indirectly lead to his older brother’s death.

  


Sometimes Damian would stand at a mirror, unmoving, and run his hands along the Nightwing insignia on the chest. 

  


He remembered vividly how much Dick impacted him throughout his life. He remembered how he smiled when Damian would be the tiniest bit sweet to him. How he laughed when Damian responded even a little bit to his humor. How he would scold Damian for acting out of line, but would always finish with him being proud that they worked so well together. Them sparring together and Damian tossing his billyclub-

  


_ Murderer. Murderer! _

  


Damian gripped the Nightwing insignia hard. He hadn’t meant to kill Dick in a fit of rage, he honestly had thought his brother would dodge the weapon like he always had. Of course, Dick wasn’t paying attention...and his neck broke as he landed on a sharp rock. 

  


Damian was sorry about it, he honestly was. He would never  _ ever _ kill Dick out of jealousy, malice, or hatred. He loved his older brother too much. Of course, Bruce didn’t see it that way. Damian was never forgiven, and  _ that _ , not Superman’s morals, caused him to leave his father’s side. Damian watched Dick’s funeral in secrecy from afar, knowing how he would not be allowed to attend it.

  


Everyone in their old life hated him. Bruce, Jason, Tim, Kori, the rest of the Justice League...everyone knew that Damian killed Dick. And no one wanted him back after that. Dick was everyone’s special person. And now, he was lying seven feet underground in Bruce’s backyard next to the Waynes for Damian’s mistakes. 

  


Damian understood why he had to keep being Nightwing after Dick’s death. He had to heal, to keep his legacy alive, and this suit served as his penance. He felt like his brother embraced him and held him every time he wore it. It always felt warm and forgiving to be in it. But it was also a reminder that he had killed someone who had done nothing but teach and love him. It was a double edged sword probing at his heart. 

  


Damian fell slowly to his feet and curled up on the floor by the mirror. He felt so weak...so broken. It had taken him so long to accept Dick into his life, for Dick to do the same to him, and for them to become as close as they had been. Dick was his idol for years. Everyone loved him, Damian included.

  


_ You threw him away! You threw away the one person who loved you! _

  


Damian fought back tears. He regretted everything. He had wanted Dick to love him, and Dick had loved him so much. That love had killed him. 

  


“I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I wish you could forgive me Dick...” Damian was glad that everyone else was on patrol whenever he was alone in his room. His heart hurt so much, the burden of killing his older brother poisoned him. 

  


“ _ Damian, I forgive you. _ ” Damian slowly looked back into mirror and saw a clear, bluish figure standing behind him. It made him jolt, almost jump, as he saw the person. Turning slowly, Damian almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

  


There was Dick, a mere foot behind him. He wore the D on his chest, a signal to Damian that he had taken over the mantle of Deadman and came back to Earth. He looked the same as Damian remembered, except with bluish skin and was slightly see-through. Dick lurched forward and took over Damian’s body, forcing him to look back into the mirror while he spoke through Damian’s lips.

  


“ _ I never blamed you for what happened to me. I know what happened, and why you did what you did. Damian, you are not a monster. You are my brother, and I love you still. _ ” Dick moved Damian’s hand to touch the mirror, and Damian, still inside his body, cried. They were words he had been craving to hear for so long, and only now did he finally feel fulfilled.

  


_ “We can never stop fighting, but for me, please do what is right. Be proud to wear this outfit. You have my blessing as your brother and Nightwing. I am proud of you Damian, keep making me proud.”  _ Damian’s eyes were overflowing with tears. He could feel the love and affection they Dick had for him rushing through his body. His happiness, his pride, his dedication, it was all inside of Damian now, and it made him so happy. He apologized aloud to Dick, over and over despite knowing he was forgiven. 

  


Dick kept reminding him that he was not in the wrong, and that he should walk with his head high. Damian held himself closer, feeling his brother’s forgiveness filling his heart and making him feel better than he had ever felt at Superman’s side. He wept happily, cloaked in warmth and happiness as his brother stayed inside of him and reminded him of happier times. He felt elated and blissful, laying down in front of the mirror on his side and holding himself in a fetal position. Dick was cradling his soul, and Damian wanted nothing more but to be connected with his brother like this forever.

  


_ “Damian, I have to go. Be strong without me, I will be back.” _ Damian pled with Dick, not wanting him to pull away from his body. Dick slowly pulled out from Damian, his loss feeling like a numbing coldness falling over Damian. Damian looked into the mirror as he lay on the floor. He could see Dick’s bluish Deadman form leaning down to kiss Damian on the cheek. Damian felt a tingle, it felt like it was melting into his skin. Dick pulled back, still smiling, and flew upward out of the bunker. 

  
Damian sat up and ran his fingers over the Nightwing costume’s insignia. He kissed his own hands and stood up, picking up the billyclubs and walking out. He would make Dick proud he would be a Nightwing that everyone would be proud of.


End file.
